I couldn't help but to be disappointed by this slow-moving contemporary thriller which lacks any real horror. The pairing of horror stars Cushing and Lee usually makes for a gripping movie but not in this case, unfortunately. Lethargic direction and an extremely confused storyline sink this one from the start, despite the use of some nice locations and the efforts of a good cast.
Things start off well with some unexplained murders and an investigation into them but quickly become muddled with a silly and ludicrous plot involving genetics and immortality. Okay so they made the film in a contemporary setting but how could they expect it to be realistic with such an implausible storyline? Much of the film is padded out with people walking around and driving cars - not very exciting. There's also far too much of child actress Gwyneth Strong, who of course went on to play Cassandra in ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES.
It's sad, really, that a good cast is wasted so much. Diana Dors spends most of the time crawling around moors and hiding in bushes, much to her embarrassment. Peter Cushing is pretty good here as a prim and proper pathologist who has a surprisingly short temper, in fact he's the best thing in the film. Christopher Lee is good too but isn't really given much to do except walk around and shout at the press. A female reporter, played by pretty singer Georgia Brown, pops up from time to time only to disappear again. Overall, this is a missed opportunity, not helped by Sasdy's uninterested direction and a poor script. It's far from the worst film out there and it does have an intriguing premise but the execution screams bland and that, unfortunately, is the end result.
Things start off well with some unexplained murders and an investigation into them but quickly become muddled with a silly and ludicrous plot involving genetics and immortality. Okay so they made the film in a contemporary setting but how could they expect it to be realistic with such an implausible storyline? Much of the film is padded out with people walking around and driving cars - not very exciting. There's also far too much of child actress Gwyneth Strong, who of course went on to play Cassandra in ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES.
It's sad, really, that a good cast is wasted so much. Diana Dors spends most of the time crawling around moors and hiding in bushes, much to her embarrassment. Peter Cushing is pretty good here as a prim and proper pathologist who has a surprisingly short temper, in fact he's the best thing in the film. Christopher Lee is good too but isn't really given much to do except walk around and shout at the press. A female reporter, played by pretty singer Georgia Brown, pops up from time to time only to disappear again. Overall, this is a missed opportunity, not helped by Sasdy's uninterested direction and a poor script. It's far from the worst film out there and it does have an intriguing premise but the execution screams bland and that, unfortunately, is the end result.